YCS @Work Intern: My Story and History Ypsilanti

The Words below are from our YCS @ Work Intern Desiree Thompson. She has been collaborating with us to bring her experience of History to our young learners. Students at YIES, and Erickson are learning about Architecture, History, and the Underground Railroad from the research she helped us execute.

While being an intern at fly art children center, it’s been such an exciting experience. I’ve learned so much from Allida. From organizing to ideas to working with children. We have done a couple projects but the one that excited me the most was researching pictures of Ypsilanti from long ago. Some people could ask me why was that so exciting ? Well I am already in love with history and art, so learning about the place you live and how different things used to be, and how things change makes me look at the world from a new perspective.

My project from Fly Arts tied into what my art class at Ypsilanti High School was doing in a way. When I heard that Donald Trump was going to be our president a lot of emotions were going threw my head I was scared, disappointed and angry with the older generation. I wasn’t the only one feeling overwhelmed about this.

Ms. Settles could tell how we were feeling because she felt the same way. She helped so many kids by just giving them a piece of paper and letting the students put their emotions on it. I participated in that and it felt like a weight was lifted off of my shoulders. But that was step 1.

A lot students felt like there was some thing more we could do. So thus the silent peace march began. I was so hyped for this March because I’ve never done something like this before and I knew I was doing the right thing. The election tied into Martin Luther King Day and also the anniversary of Fredrick Douglass speaking in Ypsi. The day of the march Ypsilanti really felt like a community it was so heartwarming. As we were half way to our destination I turned around seeing the line of people reaching all the way up to the water tower I would have never thought to see so many people. But I knew the reason why they were there was because they understood.

At the march I thought back to the project from FLY arts and how far we’ve come as a community. As a student and a intern I’m a connection in the art program and learning so much about history from the elders and doing my research on Ypsilanti I feel like it’s my part to share this history with the younger generation.